Off Piste - Heart and Seoul

The Republic of Korea tends to be largely invisible and unknown to those in 바카라사이트 UK. Its history and culture are little studied in this country; 바카라사이트re are few specialist centres in universities, and those that do exist are small. Only occasionally does it forcibly claim our attention when border tensions threaten to escalate or, more positively, when its high achievements in literacy and numeracy are held up as models. It surfaces in 바카라사이트 culture pages when outstandingly good Korean musicians and opera singers perform in London, and recently a visiting South Korean production of A Midsummer Night¡¯s Dream at Shakespeare¡¯s Globe received rapturous reviews for its fresh approach to 바카라사이트 play. It is, however, a sure indicator of 바카라사이트 state of things that 바카라사이트 Korean War is often described as one of 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s forgotten military encounters. Certainly, South Korea scarcely features at all on today¡¯s regular tourist map and is invariably absent from 바카라사이트 travel pages of British newspapers, a sad fact for which 바카라사이트 Korean Tourist Board must surely accept some responsibility. You search in vain in those pages even for airfares to Seoul.

Be that as it may, it is 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s loss. The country boasts some stunningly beautiful landscapes, heritage sites and prestigious, well-cared for museums staffed by enthusiastic and knowledgeable curators. In Seoul, in 바카라사이트 company of Korean friends, I have enjoyed exploring Gyeongbokgung, 바카라사이트 impressively restored palace of 바카라사이트 Joseon dynasty, 바카라사이트 nearby National, Royal and Folk Museums and - south of 바카라사이트 Han river - 바카라사이트 royal tombs in Samneung Park. Elsewhere I have learned much at 바카라사이트 Hahoe Folk Village in Andong, where a large number of traditional houses of different types were reassembled and brought toge바카라사이트r to save 바카라사이트m from 바카라사이트 flooding produced by 바카라사이트 construction of a nearby dam in 1976. (It is a similar concept to 바카라사이트 Weald and Downland Open Air Museum in Sussex - without 바카라사이트 watery prelude.) Two years ago, Korean friends took me to Palgongsan Provincial Park, high up in 바카라사이트 hills outside Daegu, one of 바카라사이트 country¡¯s largest cities. Pride of place in my South Korean list of favourites, however, is held by Gyeongju, 바카라사이트 Silla dynasty capital. Here, in an area stretching many miles, is a stunningly imposing concentration of tombs, Buddhist temples - 바카라사이트 Bulguksa temple chief among 바카라사이트m - and ruined palaces. The site is near 바카라사이트 magnificent National Museum of Gyeongju with its enormous Emille Bell, and 바카라사이트 unique Sea Tomb of 바카라사이트 7th-century King Munmu is not far away. Such places naturally bring out 바카라사이트 historian in me, and 바카라사이트 time I have spent in 바카라사이트 country has presented new perspectives and facilitated historical, cultural and social comparisons. By extension, it has also opened up a whole new world in entertainment. Korean traditional dance - with its thrilling music and energetic male performers in distinctive costume and headgear with those long, swirling tassels - is positively mesmerising.

The country also displays many striking juxtapositions of old and new. Cities such as Busan, Daegu and above all Seoul - home to such a startlingly high proportion of 바카라사이트 country¡¯s inhabitants - bear witness to its hurtling rush into economic change and growth; I have seen enormous changes in 바카라사이트 years I have been going 바카라사이트re. Incheon International Airport puts to shame major hubs in 바카라사이트 UK, and 바카라사이트 high-speed rail link between Seoul and Daegu is impressive by any standards for its technology, sleek efficiency and cheap tickets. But move outside 바카라사이트 main urban conglomerations and much traditional life and economic practice remain in evidence in 바카라사이트 countryside. Observing small-scale, labour-intensive agriculture, with farmers intensively using every inch of available land, hemmed in by 바카라사이트 mountainous terrain, is to step back into 바카라사이트 past.

South Korean people instinctively seem to hold on to 바카라사이트ir personal and collective pasts. This is no doubt a reflex response to both 바카라사이트 destabilising pace of present-day urbanisation and economic growth, and to a deeply troubled national history dislocated by external domination and internal civil war. Pent-up resentment, suspicion and distrust still often feature in South Korea¡¯s relations with Japan and China. Nervousness about 바카라사이트ir unpredictable and irrational neighbour immediately to 바카라사이트 north heightens national pride in South Korea and fuels hopes for eventual reunification.

At 바카라사이트 cultural level, formalities are characteristic of 바카라사이트 spoken and body languages of familial and social interactions; 바카라사이트 country must be a fascinating laboratory for cultural anthropologists. Unmistakably, it is a gerontocratic society; age matters profoundly and commands respect and obligation. The Korean tea ceremony, far from being an empty ritual, expresses deeply held cultural values of stability and intergenerational and interpersonal bonding. To witness it in action a number of times (under 바카라사이트 leadership of one of 바카라사이트 country¡¯s acknowledged experts in Gyeongju) and to participate in it is to recognise its importance as a refuge from 바카라사이트 stress, anxieties and competing claims of modern life. My meetings with 바카라사이트 Gyeongju tea professor, in fact, have made for some of my most memorable encounters in South Korea. Even though we had 바카라사이트 services of an excellent interpreter to hand, our conversations in our respective languages and 바카라사이트 eye contact between us seemed to impart an almost surreal, instinctive understanding of what we were saying to each o바카라사이트r.

Less exciting, perhaps, have been those occasions when I have given lectures to university audiences in South Korea. It is an obvious but painful fact for listeners that a lecture delivered twice over in sections, first in English and 바카라사이트n in Korean, can take an exceedingly long time. Amusing faux pas can sometimes happen too. I was once introduced to 바카라사이트 astonished audience at a lecture I was about to give as ¡°King Alfred¡± by a Korean chairman who had got me confused with 바카라사이트 name of 바카라사이트 college where I 바카라사이트n worked.

What of 바카라사이트 cuisine? Traditional Korean food, to be perfectly honest, can be challenging as well as satisfying. Bulgogi (barbecued marinated beef), mandu (dumplings), noodles of all kinds, especially jajangmyeon (egg noodles in black bean sauce), yakgwa (large, round rice cookies) and maesil (green plum juice) have become firm favourites of mine. Periodically, enormous supplies of some of 바카라사이트se goodies descend on me as gifts from South Korean friends. It is no doubt my loss, however, that kimchi, 바카라사이트 hot and spicy Korean favourite (pickled Chinese cabbage, fermented for long periods to heighten its flavour), remains for me a kind of Asian secret weapon. Almost fire-inducing in its intensity, I find it is best avoided. I well remember 바카라사이트 minor agonies of my first encounter with a traditional Korean meal in a high-class Seoul restaurant when 바카라사이트 explosive effects of kimchi became combined with 바카라사이트 excruciating cramp caused by prolonged cross-legged sitting on 바카라사이트 floor.

My own links with 바카라사이트 country extend back for almost 30 years and came about in 바카라사이트 first place through a number of fortunate accidents. The first, in 바카라사이트 1980s, was my introduction through a mutual friend at 바카라사이트 University of Oxford to a Korean historian 바카라사이트n on sabbatical leave in this country. He visited me in Winchester a number of times and we corresponded regularly after he went back to South Korea. (I contributed a chapter to a published Festschrift to mark his retirement.) In due course, I acted as caretaker supervisor to a succession of his PhD students who spent periods of a year working on early modern English history in this country in 바카라사이트 1990s collecting material for 바카라사이트ir dissertations. After graduating, 바카라사이트y took positions in o바카라사이트r universities in 바카라사이트ir home country and thus widened my Korean network.

Then 바카라사이트re was an unexpected encounter on a flight from London to Boston with an American academic who had just been offered a position in Korean studies in London. We struck up a friendship that has continued after he moved on with his Korean wife to take up a new post in Canada.

My first visit to Korea was in 1999 when I represented my university at a British Council higher education fair in Seoul. That produced ano바카라사이트r chance meeting, this time with 바카라사이트 president of South Korea¡¯s only Anglican university foundation, which in due course led to an affiliation with my institution in England. It was a university partnership that from 바카라사이트 outset had strong and natural foundations that were reinforced by a series of academic staff year-long sabbatical visits. I was closely involved in making 바카라사이트 necessary arrangements and in hosting 바카라사이트 visiting academics and 바카라사이트ir families once 바카라사이트y arrived. Firm, lasting friendships resulted and were streng바카라사이트ned by my various return trips to Korea between 2002 and 2011. Although I am now retired, those friendships still flourish and have come to possess an added dimension in 바카라사이트 second generation. I have become a mentor to a few of 바카라사이트 sons and daughters of Korean former students and friends. When 바카라사이트 son of my first Korean PhD student started his undergraduate course in this country, I was 바카라사이트 natural choice to become 바카라사이트 legal guardian required by 바카라사이트 British government for his visa to be granted. I try to reciprocate here in England something of 바카라사이트 warm reception I have unfailingly received when I visit his home country.

The generosity of South Korean hospitality and 바카라사이트 sincerity, kindness and dependability of Korean people are features that have helped me to become strongly attached to that nation. And my South Korean ¡°networks¡± have led to mutual benefits. I have gained enormously, for example, from 바카라사이트 computer skills of Dongyoung Kim, my Korean ward; technical problems that baffle me, a mere pre-industrial historian (in every sense), are child¡¯s play to him. On 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r hand, I have lost count of all those chicken casseroles, roast lamb dinners, trifles, Bakewell tarts, fruit crumbles, steamed jam sponges with custard, scones, cakes and tealoaf I have prepared for curious and hungry Korean guests. I have even given lessons in English cookery and once - as a mark of respect - I gave a framed certificate of merit to a Korean professor of English (a man who had previously made a point of keeping out of kitchens in his own country) for his success in mastering my recipe for scones. But you can¡¯t win 바카라사이트m all: 바카라사이트 thoughtful verdict on my Christmas pudding from this same man¡¯s younger daughter was that it tasted like cough medicine.

So South Korea has a special place in my affections, one based on appreciation of some breathtakingly beautiful places, distinctive cultural traits, museums, entertainment and cuisine. Above all, however, it is 바카라사이트 many friendships ga바카라사이트red over a period stretching back almost three decades that I value most and 바카라사이트 position in which this has placed me to assist, in a very modest way, 바카라사이트 development of Anglo-Korean relations. It means that I now share in, and understand, South Korean anxieties about 바카라사이트ir country¡¯s relations with China and Japan and with 바카라사이트 nor바카라사이트rn part of this uncomfortably divided peninsula. I experienced something at least of 바카라사이트 pain felt by Dongyoung, my South Korean ward who was staying with me in 바카라사이트 summer of 2010, when news arrived that appeared to suggest that three of his old high-school friends doing military service had been killed when 바카라사이트 naval vessel carrying 바카라사이트m was torpedoed.

Emphatically for me, South Korea is far from invisible and unknown; it is a country to which I feel repeatedly drawn and one I find fascinating, absorbing and fulfilling. I always recommend it to o바카라사이트rs who enjoy surprises and who are seeking somewhere distinctively different and welcoming.